Saturday, 30 July 2011

New Flower Species

4 comments:

"What the heck is that?", I asked at the greenhouse where this flower was bring exhibited."Why, it is a... type of carnation!" she said.

Dianthus barbatus ‘Temarisou’Green Trick® Series, a brand new Dianthus barbatus that looks more like a moss ball than a sterile Sweet William.This amazing new cutflower may mark the end of those green-dyed Carnations we all shriek at on St. Patrick’s day. Finally, a true green Dianthus is hitting the market.First, this is not a true carnation at all (Dianthus caryophyllus) but rather, it is a Dianthus barbatus cultivar, or Sweet William, But a Sweet William that looks more like a ball of moss.

Green Trick Dianthus is the hottest must-have flower introduced last February at a trade show in France and sold only for commercial growers as a cut flower crop. You may see it at stylish florist shops in large cities where cool green pom pommy things are as sexy as, well, green pom pommy things.Bred by Hilverda kooij in Holland, and winner of countless awards this year is a stylish Dianthus barbatus called Green Trick ‘Temarisou’, unfortunately, this is only available in the cut flower markets since it is a registered brand of the Hilverda Group and licensed out only to commercial cut flower growers, so it may be years before those of us who are interested in growing this plant in our gardens, could possibly obtain one. But this is a flower that is already available this year in the larger flower markets in the world, such as New York City, and San Fransisco. As far a cut flower trends go, this amazing new variety is a terrific example of how plant breeders are focusing on new lifestyle flowers that meet the needs of today's new consumer. Short, modern containers with dense mounds of spiky green is exactly what stylists and hip florists are looking for.

I dare say there'll be quite a demand for it on the day America suddenly decides it's Irish, but it's not an attractive cultivar to my eye - and making sure it's only available as a cut flower is commercialism at it's most cynical. Monsanto would be proud.

Of course, you can always clone it yourself from a cut flower - micro-propagation isn't difficult, and Google is your friend... ;-)